Machine for grinding balls.



9. W. SCHAUM.

MACHHv'E FOR GRENDING BALLS.

APPLICATION mm NOV. 29, 1916.

Patented Jain. 1, 191a 3 SHEETS-SHEET iran/swan end 'usefiil improvements UIVI, G l IPI-EILATJELFI-LIA, 'PENNSYLVi-LNIA.

otr'ro w. see:

MACHINE FDR GRINDING BALLS.

Specification 01" Letters Pa tent.

l ecente-d. Jam 1, 191 8.,

To all wiimn it may concern:

Be it known that I, W. SCI-IA'UM, a citizen of the United States; and a resident of Philadelphim county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented new in Mechines for Grinding Belle, of which the following a specification.

The invention relates to machines for the grinding of balls such as are usedin bell bearings and for other purposes.

Machines for grinding bolls usually coniprise two opposii'ig relatively movable members such plates or disks having in their working faces one or more grooves to receive the balls.

Since the inventions of one Ernst (in Hol'linunn there have been extensively and commercially employed hall grinding 1nnchines in whichone of the opg'msing l'lQlllbBF-S is {L relatively stationary motel oisk usually of cast nieiail having, on ils working face a series of concentric grooves and the other opposing member is n relatively rotatable disk of nbrading material, such as emery or corundun'i.

Such a nmchine is shown and described in patents granted-41o said li'oihnann covering his inventions, one of which patents is No. 803,192, dated October 31, N05, for ball grinding machines, another of which is No.

SGJ SGO, dated October 22, 190?, for grind ing balls, and another of. which is No. 868,926, dated October 2:2, 1907, for grinding balls.

in, operating the machine shown in said patents grinding grooves are formed in the :ibroding disk-if grooves are not already therein-and the depth oi these grooves gradually increases as the grindi The grooved portion of the metal or show tionnry disk of course wears somewhat deeper with continued use, but not as fast as do the grooved portions of ihe c re-ding disk. in order thei the product from such a ma chine will be accurate and uniform it has been dcnionsllrniicd to be advisable in comnierciel manufacture to construct the stationary disk will an nuclei; to permit the discharge of the bulls and to prov: a meonsn series of lingers for positively dislodging the balls from the grooved portions in the ubredingdishv In the commercialmachines there is employed a means for mixing the balls and for subsequently returning or feeding the mixed balls to the grinding portion of ihe machine, to wit,'t11e grinding grooves mentioned above.

The dislodging mixing and f eding ust referred to may effected by a single means or mechanism and such a construction is shown in the H fiinenn patents above identified. e

In performing the present invention there are employed 2}, stationary or metal disk and a companion abruding disk, each of which is provided with two sets of grooves, the two sets of grooved portions in one disl; cooperating with the corresponding sells oi grooved portions in ihe other dish.

The apparatus which is the basis of the present invention is prefer: bly constructed so that the bells being ground will be positively discharged from the grooved portions of the grinding disk when the balls reach :i'

particular plaice sothot the bells films discharged will be permitted to roll or will be conveyed 0 a suinible QltVililIlQ and mixing means and so elm; finally the walls will. roll or will be conveyed to a, position where they can pass through a feeding inc-tins to the grinding portion of the machine whereby a subsequent grinding operation can performed. preferably comprised 11 movable guide men ber, to wit an. nngnlnrly movable throat ,ineinber, which can he relied upon at one lime to clause the balls to be hid into one set of grooves in the cooperating disks and at another time to feed the balls or to cause the balls to be fed into another set of grooves in the cooperating disiisw This movable guide member is preferably actuated by mechanism which causes it to be positioned periodically the grinding operation procoeds,

illustrating a specific embodiment of the invent-ion reference is made #0 the draw ings forming part oi? specificefiion and in which drawings,

Figure l is a plan view l'jfill llliy in section, of a hell grinding machine in which veneion is realized This figure is i/lQ 1 'cw taken as on the plane indicated by the hrolicn line l1 in 3 loohing in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 2 a partial plain View in section,

in said fooling means there is ,showing the angularly movable'throat memher in a difi'erent positionv from that which it occupies in Fig. 1'.

Fig. 3 is a vertical view,.partially broken line H in Fig. 3; and.

Fig. 5 is'a partial plan view, in section, taken as on the plane indicated by the line 55 in Fig. 3.

The machine comprises any suitable main frame or bed plate 1 having thereupon standards 2 and 3. The standard 2 provides a bearing 4 having a shaft 5 that carries an abrading wheel or disk 6 which may. be of such material as emery or corundum and the shaft 5 is driven by any suitable source of power as, for instance, through the medium of a belt passing over a pulley/T. The longitudinal thrust imparted to the, shaft 5 during the grinding operation may be resisted as by means of any suitable thrust bearing 8 between the shaft 5 and a bracket 9 on the frame of the machine.

The standard 3 carries a relatively stationary disk 10 through the medium of any suitable mechanism as indicated by 11. Said standard 3 is fixedly secured to the base but it may be adjustably mounted on the base if such a construction is desired. The relatively stationary disk 10 is mounted by means of the mechanism 11 so that it can be moved relatively to the standard and consequently toward and away from the abradingdisk in order .to effect an adjustment between the metal disk and the abrading disk as the grinding operation proceeds. The metal disk 10, even though it is adjustable toward and from the 'abrading disk 6, is

the relatively stationary member, and the disk 6 is the relatively revoluble abrading I member. Each of these disks has two sets of grooved portions and the two disks cooperate so as to provide between them the two sets of grinding grooves, one set designated by A and the other set designated by B. The set A is defined by the grooved por-- tions a of the ahrading disk and by the grooved portions or of the metal disk. The

set E is defined by the grooved portions 7) of the abrading disk and by the grooved portions 6 of the metal disk. A double set of fingers F extends into the two sets of grooved portions A and B whereby when the balls reach the fingers F on their downward travel theythe balls-will be ejected from the particular set of grinding grooves in which they are located. In this manner the fingers will serve to positively dislodge the balls from the grinding portion of the machine through the discharge opening 10 that is provided in the stationary or metal disk 10. From this discharge openingthe balls are conveyed by means of the trough part of the feeding mechanism for conducting and directing the balls back to the grinding portion of the machine. This conveyor 14- comprises a movable member 15 and a fixed member 16. The fixed member 16' is in the form of a throat having guiding por-' tions 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 which define two sets of passageways, one set ofwhich comprises grooves or passageways 24 and the other set of which comprises grooves or passageways 24 The grooves or passageways 24; correspond to or register with the grooves A between the opposing disks or grinding members and the grooves or passageways 24 correspond to or register with-the grooves B between said grinding members. The passageways 2 1 are defined by the guiding portions 17 and 18, 19 and 20 and 21 and 22; while the passageways 241 are defined by the guiding portions 18 and 19, 20 and 21, and 22 and 23. The balls are delivered from the passageways '24 into the set of grinding portions designated by A and by the passageways 24: into the. set

. of grinding portions designated by B. The

movable member 15 in this guideway is shown as being pivotally mounted at 24; at the end of a bracket 25 which is secured to the mechanism 11 that carries not only the relatively stationary metal disk 10 but also the fixed portion of the guideway or feeding means. It will be noted that the throat member 16 of the feeding means is secured to the carrier of the relatively stationary member 10. The movable member 15 which may be considered as a movable throat mem her swings about the pivot 24 as a center and canbe moved angularly from the posi tion shown. in Fig. 1 to the position shown in' Fig; 2. The free end of this pivoted member 15 is circular in form and the pivoted point 24 ofthis member 15 is the center of the circular portion which defines the free or movable end of the pivoted. member 15. The fies or laterally movable end of this member 15 is supported as by means of a ledge 26 that is on the fixed throat member 16. A combined cam and gear 27 is mounted upon a shaft or spindle 28 of the mechanism 11 and this combined camand gear may be'driven about said shaft or spindle 28 which serves as a support therefor through the medium of any suitable mechanism, for instance, the mechanism M comprising the gear 29. The mechanism M and gear 29 may be referred to herein as a continuously operating mechanism. Any suitable mechanism is interposed between the cam of the cam gear 27 on the one hand and the movable throat member 15 whereby the izion shown in pivo'miiy mount-ed. as 31 on the mechanism that carries the relatively stationary disk One goortion. to wit the and vthis bciicrank icver, has upon it a pin or roller 33 that enters the siofi'ccd cam portion 3-4- of the cam gear 27. fino;hc1' portion, to wit end 36 of tho bell-crank isvci' 30 is pinned or otherwise connected to a depending lug which is at t of the movabicfin'cat member 15. The cam of the concinuoi'isiy rotating com gear 2'? and "e lever 30 serve as means Wi'icrcby the: con tinuously operating mcchanism can ill-- Zermittontivactuate or position the tin-021?; member oftnc ball fee? g; inc-tins. The movable throat, member ms upstnni'i ing outer guide members 37 and 38 in immediate guicic members and .10 which provide The inzermcdictc guide members 39 and 410 serve to direct the balls IOiiil'l, downwardly along the member 15, which will be observed is also an. inciincd mcznbcr, into one or another of the three passageways desig- 1 {$917 as P. When the number 15 is in the position shown in l the balls roii from the passaqcvmys P into the passageways of the fi 1 throat ZHQHliOQI' and finally c-3761 setof grooved portions A, between the opposing grinding mcmbcrs; When, howcvcr, the movable member 15 is in she posithe baiis rcii, from she passagcwnys i into chc passageways 2 1 of the fixed throat mcmbr and finaii into the set of grooved portions B. As the ginciing' operation proceeds she combined 1am :mci gear 2'7 is being rotated anci the construction of the camgczn" and lover just described is such, as will be manifest from an inspection of 4 for example, that the. movable e free or Este -ally movable cod,

between them passagcvmys P P F.

the baiis and it may he driven or associatcoi iv or moucctiy, tho

i119 rota??? move- Jim! 4;

bub-1. u. s tthc mechanism M is vcn iiimn the motor or 1 i v, T Jug Ifvtfiiilllbll} 1%: which and cicvatmg mechasiiomi as being cootinuousiy op operates iLiiC maxing nism fol- 1h arc 1 i, sction and as miss and n'ioiiificnfi ing i I'OIH the spirit and X11101},

inci'iihcrs has a 5 Rooms 101' 11: grooves whom the or which plan's? POY'iiUHS in 'iis opposing member; means for disiodging from between the opposing mcn'ibcrs, wixcn tiic buiis reach a, certain place a 2m viibic throat nicmiicix, coniinuousiy p erutinv mcchm'iism, mu} mmns said moi-hm m and said movable ont member for periodically moving the throat member to a. position when; it wiii direct the bails opposing grinding,

i nwmbor 15 .viii be held for a certain pcrioci, mio one o; (5 sets of ccii evating grooved, no in the position shown in Fig. 1. it will 1 pozun on on! 1 ion 21 iinoi'hci" be moved to tho position Sil -W31 in Fig. 2 {mo posimon where it direct chi, caiis into wiii be hold in. such posici'on for c certzfn :mofiioi' of said v coo eruiing grooved pcx'iod, after which it .vi ii be Tctumod to the portions k cci'lginai posigion whereby the cycic of movc- An apparatus of the class (icscribcd 115 mcnfs can so successively i'cpcaficd; In ccm'ipi-ising in ccmbinzition opposing grindotiioi' words, "he movabic throai IHt'mbQZ ins mcmbcrs. one of which is n, rciziiiivciv has a pcrimLcai movement impzuitcci so it so Si'HifimHHY n in disk and the other of which that ii baiis Wii be Tied into the. sci; of is 11 vcia tivmv ro bic disk of ainmiing;

55 grooves 1 at one firms and inc-3 the of interim-3,U10iihrmiingaiiskhaving;o ])i"\1i':ligrooves; L t another time. Thu fingers F, grimiiiig o'movcs i'imrcin {Lilli howcvc are so that they wiil ox i m m i wing 2i piurziiic v' of sets of in h, Us 0511 iliK machine no claim? 4 are located.

tract 1;

i'iic a'm'ariingf sir, means 11g ihc bo ls i on.

mom or vcn ins the mccimmsm which serve 13o an, v menses quent grinding step'can be performed,-said last mentioned means comprisingas a part thereof a movable throat member, and cam means for actuating the movable throat,

member whereby as the grinding operation proceeds the balls will be directed at one time to one set of the grinding grooves and at another time to another" set of the grinding grooves. lo 4. A ball grinding machine of the class described comprising in combination opposing grinding members, one of which is a disk of metal and the other of which is a disk of abrading material, means for positively dislodging the balls from the space between he disks, for mixing the balls and for ele- ,vating'thc balls to a position where they can be fed back into the machine, means for feeding or directing the balls into the opcrating space between the disks, which said means comprises a movable throat member, and means for automatically positioning the throat member so that the latter will cause the balls to be directed to one set of grooves in the opposing disks at one time and to another set of grooves in the opposing disks at another time.

5. A ball grinding machine of the class described comprising in combination a relatively stationary disk and a relatively rotatable disk opposed to the stationary disk, each of which disks has a plurality of sets of grooved portions with the sets of grooved portions in one disk coiiperating with the sets of grooved portions in the other disk, means for mixing the balls delivered from the grinding space between the disks, mechanism for elevating the balls, mechanism comprising a movable throat member for feeding or directing the balls from the elevating mechanism back to thegrii'idingspacebetween the disks, and a common means for actuating the elevating mechanism and for actuating the movable throat member whereby as the grinding operation proceeds the balls will periodically be conducted at one time to one set of grinding grooves between the disks and at another time to another set of grinding grooves between the disks.

6. A ball grinding machine of the class described comprising in combination a relatively rotatable abrading disk having a plurality of sets of grinding grooves, a relatively stationary metal disk having a pinrality of sets of grooved portions which are opposedv to said sets of grinding grooves, means carried by or secured to the relatively stationary disk for positively dislodging the balls from the grinding grooves in the abrad- 6() ing disk, mechanism for mixin and elevating the balls thus dislodged, and means com- .prislng a movable member for feeding or (11- recting the balls, after they have been elevated, back to the grinding space between the 55 disks, and a common means for actuatin the elevating mechanism and for actuating the movable member of the feeding means whereby, as the elevating mechanism is continuously operated, the movable member of the feeding means will be periodically po- 7o sitioned so as to feed or direct the balls at one time to one set of the grinding grooves and at another time to another set of the grinding grooves,

7. A ball grinding machine of the class described, comprising a relatively rotating abrading disk, a relatively stationery metal disk, each of which disks is provided with a plurality of sets of grooves whereby there will be a plurality of sets of grinding spaces so between said disks,'means itor mixing the balls discharged from the. grinding space, mechanism for elevating the balls, means for subsequently feeding or directing (the balls back to the grinding spaces between the 35 disks, said feeding or directing means comprising a movable throat or member, and means associated with said elevating mechanism, which means is constructed so that as the grinding operation proceeds the movable 9o throat or member will be periodically positioned to direct the balls at one time into one set of the grinding spaces between the disks and at another time into another set of the grinding spaces between the disks. e5

8. A ball grinding machine comprising. opposing cooperating disks, one of which is a relatively l0tutiI1llSl, and the other of which is a'relatively stationary metal disk, means for dislodging the-balls from. the 09- we crating space between the disks, for mixing the balls, and for feeding or directing the balls back to the operating space between said disks, said means comprising as a part which coiiperatcs with said stationary tal. disk, said abradmg disk having a plurality of sets of grinding grooves, means compr sing a movable throat or member tor directing or feeding balls into said grinding grooves and mechanism for automatically and periodically positioning said throat or member so that the balls will be directed at one time into one set of the grinding grooves and at another time into another set of grinding grooves.

10. A; ball grinding'machine of the class described comprising in combination a relatively stationary disk and a relatively roablethro-at member whereby as said cam is revolved the movable throat member can be periodically positioned to direct at one time the ballf eing ground into one set of grooves in the fihed throat member and at another time into another set of the grooves in the fixed throat member. i 11. A ball grinding machine comprisin in combination a relatively stationary metal dish, a relatively rotating ab'rading disk,- each of which disks has -a plurality of sets of grooved portions, the sets of grooved portions in one disk cooperating with the sets of grooved portions in the other disk, mechanism for supporting the relatively stationary-disk, a feeding means carriedby said mechanism which feeding means comprises as a part thereof a movable throat member,

a revoluble cam and a lever pivotally secured to said mechanism, which lever is actuated by said cam and in turn actuatcs said movable throat member so that at one time the movable throat member will direct balls into one set of the grooves and at another time into another set of the grooves.

12. A ball grinding machine comprising in combination a pair of opposing grinding members having between them a plurality ofsets of grinding grooves, means for dislodging the balls from the grooves, and means for feeding the balls back to the grinding grooves, said means comprising a fixed-throat member having a plurality of sets of passageways loading to said sets of grooves and a throat member movable relatively to said fixed throat member whereby balls being ground will at one time be .conveyed into one set of the passageways in said fixed throatmember, thence into a corresponding set of grinding grooves, and by said movable throat member at another time into one set of the passageways in said fixed throat member, thence into a corresponding set of the inding grooves.

13. A ha 1 grinding machine comprisin in combination a pair of opposing grin ing members each of which members has a plurality of sets of grooved portions, and means for feeding the balls into the grinding grooves defined by said grooved portions, said means comprising a fixed throat member having passageways leading to the sets of grinding grooves and a throat member movable relatively to said fixed throat mem ber whereby balls to be ground will be fed into one set of the grinding grooves at one time and into another setof the grinding grooves at another time, said fixed throat member being on the delivery side of the movable throat member.

14. A ball grinding machine comprising in combination opposing relatively rotating members each of which members has a plurality of sets of grooved portions that cooperate with. the corresponding set of grooved portions in its opposing member.

feeding means comprising a movable throat member, continuously operating mechanism, and means between said mechanism and said movable. throat member for periodically moving the throat member to a position where it will direct the balls into one of said sets of cooperating grooved portions at one time when in one position and into another of said sets of cooperating grooved portions at another time when in another position.

15. An apparatus of the class described comprising" in combination opposing grinding members one of which is a relatively stationary metal disk and the other a relatively rotating abrading disk, the abrading disk having a plurality of sets of grinding grooves therein and the metal disk having a plurality of sctsof grooves which are opposed to the sets of grinding grooves in the abrading disk, means for conveying balls from the grinding members whereby the balls can be mixed, means for feeding the mixed balls back to the grinding members Where a second grinding step can be pering as a part thereof a movable throat memher and continuously operating means having a cam whereby as the grinding opera-"' forn'ied, said last mentioned moans coinpris- 

